L3OUGH Posted July 9, 2015 Posted July 9, 2015 (edited) Hi all, Looking to upgrade my RAM in my home gaming rig as RAM prices seem pretty cheap at the minute! Currently got Corsair PC3-12800Vengeance 8GB (2x4GB) @1600Mhz running in an ASUS Z87-K MOBO. Looking to go to 16GB, it would have to be a 2x8GB due to the size of my CPU cooler blocking off a slot xD Anyone got any suggestions on brand, speeds etc? Been so long since I looked at half decent performance RAM! Link your suggestions for me guys + gals! Liam Edited July 9, 2015 by L3OUGH
Garacesh Posted July 9, 2015 Posted July 9, 2015 (edited) Nothing wrong with Vengeance. Use it myself, though I'm packing 16GB (4x4) and using the higher clock speeds. I hear good things about Dominator, too. I always go Corsair for my RAM. Always. Realistically - why? What do you need 16GB for? I have it, I don't use it at all. If you're gaming, the vast majority of it is on you GPU, and 8GB of DDR3 should easily be enough. Are you sure memory is your bottleneck? Or is this an upgrade for the sake of it/futureproofing? Edited July 9, 2015 by Garacesh
Domo Posted July 9, 2015 Posted July 9, 2015 I'd look on ccl or similar websites that allow you to pick what RAM you want to look at. after a quick look on CCL you can get 2x 8GB sticks running at 2400Mhz for about £85. not super cheap but, it's good RAM. can get HyperX or Corsair as well so you have a choice link for the corsair one: Corsair Vengeance Pro 16GB 2X8GB Dual Channel DDR3 2400MHz DIMM - CMY16GX3M2A2400C11R - CCL Computers
3s-gtech Posted July 9, 2015 Posted July 9, 2015 No harm if you have the cash, but for gaming the money would be better put towards a GPU (as ever!) Might be worth a step up to 1866MHz RAM, but the performance difference is pretty negligible. Generally, RAM's RAM. Don't bother with over-protruding heat spreaders, make sure the timings are decent (CL9 at 1.5v, CL10 at a push), and make sure the warranty is fair. Otherwise, just look out for offers on known brands.
L3OUGH Posted July 9, 2015 Author Posted July 9, 2015 Thanks all, I was kind of thinking upgrade just because I can/future proof. I wanted the system with 16GB when I ordered it just over a year ago but ended up with 8GB as didn't specify I wanted to change to 16GB in time. GPU wise I'm running a GTX760 so I think I'm okay for a while on that front.
Garacesh Posted July 9, 2015 Posted July 9, 2015 Yeah, looking at the specs in your signature, if you wanted to upgrade anything, I'd say GPU is what you're looking for, get yourself on the latest architecture (though at a considerably higher price). But if you're not actually experiencing any bottlenecks anywhere, and just have a bit of spare cash you want to blow, a memory upgrade can't hurt, though honestly I'd say "use that cash to start a GPU fund"
Arthur Posted July 9, 2015 Posted July 9, 2015 Crucial Ballistix Sport (VLP)? These will fit under any heatsink since the RAM is only as tall as the DIMM slots themselves. You would then have 24GB RAM. There's also the Ballistix Tactical which are slightly taller but look a bit nicer with the black PCBs.
L3OUGH Posted July 9, 2015 Author Posted July 9, 2015 Latest generation GPU's are expensive though! £200 for a GTX960! Although it would double my GRAM Maybe a GPU would be better as next upgrade. I'm not experiencing any bottlenecks just trying to future proof! Thanks for all the responses!
Garacesh Posted July 9, 2015 Posted July 9, 2015 £200 is nothing when I've spent £650 on a 980Ti Still not bloody got it, though. EVGA and their terrible European distribution
L3OUGH Posted July 9, 2015 Author Posted July 9, 2015 £650!?!? That's mad! Why you spent that much? Surely you don't need all the power? Isn't that card one below a Titan?
L3OUGH Posted July 9, 2015 Author Posted July 9, 2015 Maybe it'll be an upgrade to a GTX960/970 instead of RAM then as people seem to think I have plenty for a gaming rig
Garacesh Posted July 9, 2015 Posted July 9, 2015 (edited) £650!?!? That's mad! Why you spent that much? Surely you don't need all the power? Isn't that card one below a Titan? Umm, well.. It actually outperforms the Titan X in some aspects, according to reviews (as long as you're not running 4K on just the one card, the Titan X beats it for 4K@60FPS*). But yes, it's a tiny step below a Titan. Almost identical hardware, just half the GDDR. Regular 980Ti's start at around £550 give or take. The one I ordered comes with its own closed-loop water cooler (like the Corsair Hydro series) and the reviews I watched never got it above 50 degrees 970's are fantastic cards though and have dropped a little in price since the 980Ti release. Well worth the money if you're budget-strung. * Or as close to 60FPS you can get, which still ain't easy on 1 card Edited July 9, 2015 by Garacesh
L3OUGH Posted July 9, 2015 Author Posted July 9, 2015 Well I don't have any 4k monitors so I'm not really worried about 4k... what about this for a 970? EVGA GTX 970 FTW ACX 2.0 4GB GDDR5 Dual DVI HDMI DisplayPort PCI-E Graphics Card - Ebuyer They do a 970 SSC and a 970 FTW editions..? Any idea what the difference is!? Been thinking of selling my X1 and that would fund my GPU fund!
localzuk Posted July 9, 2015 Posted July 9, 2015 I bought myself one of these - MSI GTX 970 GAMING Twin Frozr V 4GB GDDR5 Dual DVI HDMI DisplayPort PCI-E Graphics Card - Ebuyer Works beautifully for me. Even runs Assassin's Creed Unity at Ultra quality for everything.
Garacesh Posted July 9, 2015 Posted July 9, 2015 I don't know about SSC but the FTW editions are factory overclocked and usually have better coolers, I think. But then again, most EVGA stuff has an OC on it to some degree. Never go blower (reference) design unless you're running SLI. It looks better, but the cooling is nowhere near as good. The 'open' design of the card you linked and similar heat sink are better for cooling but will blow hot air onto your lower card, so blowers are sometimes advised for SLI. I have a 4K 23(I think?) inch monitor and honestly.. 4K is blah. Even with a typical 'big' monitor everything is too small at 4K, so I usually run it in 1440p. I'm thinking of flogging it and buying a 1440p 144Hz G-Sync monitor instead. Edit: MSI are definitely a GPU manufacturer I recommend. Their factory OC's are always incredibly stable and they look awesome
L3OUGH Posted July 9, 2015 Author Posted July 9, 2015 I bought myself one of these - MSI GTX 970 GAMING Twin Frozr V 4GB GDDR5 Dual DVI HDMI DisplayPort PCI-E Graphics Card - Ebuyer Works beautifully for me. Even runs Assassin's Creed Unity at Ultra quality for everything. Just looking at that one on eBuyer also. So many versions of the same card its almost annoying haha! Will have to do some more research into them all... Hopefully my PSU can run a newer one, the consumption shouldn't be too different..
Garacesh Posted July 9, 2015 Posted July 9, 2015 Power consumption has actually been getting better, for the most part Realistically, unless you're going to absolutely hammer the hell out of your card and push it to its limits.. Just get whichever one has a heat sink matching your PC aesthetic
L3OUGH Posted July 9, 2015 Author Posted July 9, 2015 I do like the MSI Twin Frozr V linked above and its not mega expensive either! Look what you've done, started with RAM ending with GPU upgrades!!
3s-gtech Posted July 9, 2015 Posted July 9, 2015 Your 760 still has second hand value, so we're not costing you that much! Your PSU will be fine.
L3OUGH Posted July 9, 2015 Author Posted July 9, 2015 I suppose that is true! I'm not sure where to even sell old hardware, eBay the best bet i'm guessing. I'll have to see how much they're going for... Anywhere else you recommend selling second hand hardware? or places to avoid for that matter?
Garacesh Posted July 9, 2015 Posted July 9, 2015 eBay can be good. Preloved and Craigslist spring to mind as your general 'buy/sell anything' websites, but yeah, eBay would be my first go-to. Especially if you still have the box etc. Or you can do what me and my housemates do and hoarde older parts until you can build an entire machine, then give it to someone who doesn't own a PC as a freebie
L3OUGH Posted July 9, 2015 Author Posted July 9, 2015 eBay can be good. Preloved and Craigslist spring to mind as your general 'buy/sell anything' websites, but yeah, eBay would be my first go-to. Especially if you still have the box etc. Or you can do what me and my housemates do and hoarde older parts until you can build an entire machine, then give it to someone who doesn't own a PC as a freebie eBay it is, all my buddies either hate on the master race (because they are blind to our power) or they already own a rig.
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